Leslie Lindeman, owner and CEO of Kick-Butt Marketing, was selected as a Constant Contact All Star for the third year in a row.

The southern California native moved to Rhode Island in 1983. She has been in marketing for more than 30 years and in business for herself for roughly 10 years.

PBN: This is the third year you’ve been recognized by Constant Contact, what sets you (and Kick-Butt Marketing) apart?

LINDEMAN: Being recognized by this international firm for achieving strong marketing results for my clients is extremely satisfying. I believe that my breadth of marketing experience and the consistency of those results are what set me apart. For over twenty years, I have been providing wide-ranging marketing support services to small businesses representing a broad spectrum of industries.

PBN: What does it mean to be a Constant Contact “All Star”?

LINDEMAN:It means that my results ranked among the top 10% of Constant Contact’s customer base of small businesses, associations and nonprofits.

Each year, a select group of Constant Contact customers are honored with the All Star Award for exemplary marketing results. We are recognized for delivering relevant, engaging content that drives real business results.

Customers using any combination of the company’s email marketing, event marketing and online survey tools are eligible for this award. Constant Contact considers the frequency of campaigns, open, bounce, and click-through rates, the use of mailing list sign-up tools, plus other criteria as measures of success.

PBN: What do Constant Contact’s programs help clients do that they wouldn’t be able to do on their own?

LINDEMAN:One of the most important time-saving benefits is automatic mailing list control. I believe that this feature alone is worth the cost of their monthly fee, which begins at just $15.

Let me explain a bit: A visitor to your website signs up online to receive your newsletter. Constant Contact’s program sends an automatic response welcoming them and then adds their contact information to the appropriate list. You don’t have to do a thing! You can, however, easily access and retrieve the mailing list information any time you want.

The Constant Contact collection of templates also makes it easy for business owners with little or no graphic design experience to produce their own newsletters.

PBN: You’ve been in this business for the past 20 years, how have you seen the marketing world grow and change as different technology develops?

LINDEMAN: Where do I begin? Twenty years ago I could not have imagined how dramatically marketing would change! There has been more to learn in the last five years than the fifteen previous. And, I anticipate commensurate unforeseen changes throughout the next decade as well. It sure keeps the field an exciting one to work in. The good news is that the basic principles of marketing still apply, whether the tactic employed is high-tech or traditional.

A benefit of all the changes is that awareness of the field itself has increased greatly. When I first got into marketing, I constantly had to explain the difference between sales and marketing. Now nearly everyone understands what it is and how important an aspect of doing business it is.

Still, many new business owners don’t think to build it into their budget. The “Build it and they will come” ethos rarely works. You must tell people how they will benefit from doing business with you, and doing so consistently requires a budgetary commitment.

PBN: What are some marketing tools Rhode Island business owners really need to utilize and how should social media play into their strategies?

LINDEMAN:

Kick-Butt Marketing Rule No. 1: Utilize the tactic(s) which you can afford to consistently invest your time and money on. Sporadic efforts never pay off in the long run.

Kick-Butt Marketing Rule No. 2: Market to your current and past customers first and foremost. They have already expressed interest in your product or service, so keep the lines of communication open to build enduring relationships with them. Social media provides excellent means for doing so, but be sure to speak with your customers in person and on the phone when given the opportunity. E-newsletter communications plus customer surveys and events can also be effective. The additional bonus for marketing to your current and past customers is that it is much less expensive than attracting totally new ones!

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